


Spectrum

by lipservice (thescariestadverbs)



Category: Suits (TV)
Genre: Blow Jobs, M/M, Masturbation, Work sex, marvey, prolly some fluff too, there will be smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-22
Updated: 2014-03-22
Packaged: 2018-01-13 10:19:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1222639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thescariestadverbs/pseuds/lipservice
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Donna convinces Harvey to let a homeless Mike sleep on his couch. Primarily from Harvey's perspective.</p><p>Updated! Chapter six!!!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> This is one of those "I had an idea for a one shot and then it turned out to be kinda long" stories :) There will definitely be some smut and fun as it progresses :)

_A blessing in disguise I was on your mind_  
 _Try as you might you may well soon find_  
 _I am yours but you can't be mine_  
Tegan and Sara – Guilty as Charged

It’s the snoring that wakes him. Not the sun, still sleeping below the horizon. Not his alarm, still two hours away. It’s the snoring. It’s not loud or repulsive, just a repetitive noise that’s enough to rouse him. He tried to ignore it, even slept briefly with a pillow over his head, but the soft snore brought him back again and again. He’s no stranger to sleepless nights and as his eyes snap open for the umpteenth time he concedes defeat. 

He doesn’t make any effort to be quiet as he flings his covers off dramatically. He walks heavily past the couch and into the bathroom. He even slams the door. He’s not angry, annoyed maybe, but not angry. He makes a mental note to never let Donna talk him into anything again. He reaches in the shower and turns it on full force, he doesn’t bother to check the temperature before ducking inside. 

The water is scalding hot but he doesn’t turn it down. He likes the way it feels on the tense muscles of his back. He leans against the shower wall, letting the hot water run over. Showering had always been a luxury that he could rarely afford. There was always something pressing, something that needed to get done and the shower would be rushed, cut short or skipped altogether. 

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Jessica had said. She’d formed it as a question but he knew it wasn’t. It was her way of saying it wasn’t a good idea.

He shrugged, “it’s just a couch for a couple of days.”

“He’s not stable, Harvey,” she used her condescending tone, “doesn’t he have somewhere else?”

He’d, of course, asked Donna the same thing. He considers the best way to answer the question. The truth was that he felt responsible for him. Thanks to Donna the situation felt all too familiar and he felt guilty. If he told Jessica that he’d be fired. They’d both be fired. Senior partners don’t let associates crash on their couches out of guilt, “well I’d let him sleep in my office but that might rouse some other suspicions,” he winked, “you really need to learn to trust me.” He strode out of her office before she’d had a chance to say any more. He had a feeling the conversation was far from over. 

The water starts to run cold. He sighs and reaches for his shampoo. He’d managed to avoid Jessica for the rest of the day and instructed Donna to give Mike his spare key when she saw him. He’d also dumped enough work on Mike’s desk that he didn’t expect to see him for days anyway. It was around one in the morning when he heard the key in the lock.

He hadn’t been able to sleep and he watched Mike make his way to the couch in the dark. Harvey winced as Mike threw his suit jacket and pants on the floor. Mike glanced around the room before heading towards the bathroom. The last thing Harvey remembered was the strip of light glowing under the door. The snoring woke him a few hours later.

He strides out of the bathroom in nothing but a towel. It’s bright and he has to squint his eyes at first. A glance at the clock tells him he’d been in the shower for over an hour. For the first time he gets a look at Mike. He’s splayed out across the couch on his stomach. He’s sleeping in his undershirt and boxers. In his sleep the blanket managed to get tangled around one of his legs and his shirt is pushed up, revealing a teasing amount of skin. 

It’s at that moment, when he’s standing over the couch, staring at the soft skin of Mike’s back, it’s at that moment that his alarm goes off. It’s never seemed so loud before but today it might as well have been a siren in the middle of the room. He almost dives across the room, scrambling to turn it off. He adjusts his towel and falls to the bed. He’s panting and his heart is racing. It takes him a moment to calm down and when he finally does he realizes Mike is still drooling on his couch, “for fuck’s sake,” he grumbles under his breath.

Twenty minutes later he’s standing in his kitchen in a fresh pressed suit and fully groomed. He’s leaning back casually against the counter staring directly at Mike. He’s got one hand on the coffee grinder and he’s smiling. He’d never actually used the grinder before and it had taken him a little while to find it but he had a feeling this would be well worth the trouble. He presses down on it, hard, and it whirrs to life. 

Mike shoots up, confused and dishevelled. He looks around the apartment frantically before he settles back onto the couch, breathing hard, “what the hell?” he asks, blue eyes wide. 

“I can’t hear you,” Harvey laughs, “all the way from the office.” 

It takes a second to sink in and Mike starts moving frantically again. He reaches for his clothes on the floor, “what time is it?” he shouts on his way to the bathroom. 

“Don’t rush, you’re already late!” Harvey dumps the contents of the grinder into the garbage and reaches for his briefcase. 

He strides into the building like he owns it. He greets a few select people as he makes his way to his office. Donna’s on the phone but still hands him a coffee as he passes her. He’s barely had a second to sit down when she bursts in and shuts the door, “how was it?”

“I’m going to need you to find Mike somewhere else,” he says simply, trying to focus on the papers in front of him.

“Why? Did he do something?” she slides into the chair across from him and leans on his desk.

Harvey flips a page, “he snores.” 

She laughs out loud, “he snores? What? Did he sleep in your bed or something?” 

“No, I didn’t sleep with him,” he avoids her eyes, “it’s a small place. You’ll have to find him somewhere else.” 

Donna gasps and stands up, “Wait, sleep with him?” 

“You asked if I slept with him, I said I didn’t.”

“No, no, no, I asked if he slept in your bed. I didn’t ask if you slept with him. Oh my God, do you want to sleep with him?” she paces back and forth. 

He lets go of the papers and stands up, “of course not.”

“Oh my God, you do.”

He walks over to the door to his office, “this conversation is over. Please help Mike find somewhere else to stay.” 

“You’re the one who told him to get his life together, you tell him to find somewhere else to stay. He’s got no one else, Harvey, and he’s got you beating down on him to be better and do better and he’s trying. He got rid of his apartment. Where’s he supposed to go?”

“Convince him to move into that place he bought.”

Donna walks over and places her hand on his shoulder, “you’re the one who convinced him to move out of his apartment. You convince him to move into his new one.” 

There’s a knock on the glass door and he sees Mike standing there, holding a small stack of files, in his wrinkled suit. Harvey sighs and looks at Donna with a pained expression before he opens the door. “Good morning, Donna,” Mike says as he steps into the room. “I’ve got the files you asked me to put together last night,” he walks over to Harvey’s desk and drops the files before he puts his hands in his pockets. 

“Morning, Mike,” Donna winks at Harvey before heading over to her desk.

“You’re not coming to the client meeting later,” Harvey says as he sits down, “your suit looks like you slept in it.”

Mike starts running his hands over the creases like that would make any difference, “sorry, I can go pick up something to change into.”

“Its fine, I’ve got it,” Harvey opens the first file that Mike brought, “where’s the rest of your clothes?”

“What?” Mike’s still looking down at his jacket.

Harvey sighs and closes the file, “your clothes, your things. Everything you had at your old apartment?”

“Oh, I left most of the stuff behind. I put my clothes at my grandmother’s, it’s not far. I can run and change.” 

“You mean your house?” 

Mike shakes his head, “I’ll pick some stuff up. I’ll bring it here. I thought I’d have enough time to stop there on my way in and change.” 

“Fine, go change, we leave in an hour,” Harvey picks up the file and starts to read it. He doesn’t glance up as Mike heads out of the office. He reaches down and buzzes Donna, “don’t.” 

“I noticed you didn’t tell him he couldn’t stay with you anymore,” she buzzes back.

He spins his chair around and flips through the file, doing everything he can to focus on the task at hand and keep his mind off of his associate.


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so happy to see how much you are all liking the story so far!! Thank you so much for your support!

_A blessing in disguise I was on your mind_  
 _Try as you might you may well soon find_  
 _I am yours but you can't be mine_  
Tegan and Sara - Guilty as Charged

The day passes in a blur of meetings and handshakes and Mike appearing and disappearing at his will. Before he realizes the sun’s gone down and the office is empty. He’s been staring at the same piece of paper for well over an hour. He needs to focus, he needs to sleep. He has no idea what he needs. He stands and slams his chair into the desk so hard he can hear the pictures on the wall rattle. 

“Everything okay?” Mike’s leaning against the doorjamb. He’d taken off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves. He’s standing there, all casual, with his arms crossed and some godforsaken smirk across his face. 

Harvey buttons his jacket, “I’m hungry,” he says absently. He’s thinking about how much fun it could be to wipe that smirk off of Mike’s face. He tries to shake the image of Mike panting up against his bookshelf, all flushed and exasperated. 

“What are you staring at?” Mike pushes off the door, “are you okay?”

“Fine. Get your coat.” 

Mike’s brow furrows with concern, “seriously, are you okay?”

Harvey pushes past him and walks out the door, “I’m leaving in three minutes, with or without you.” He doesn’t turn around. 

It hadn’t been his best idea but he’s handling it. The two scotches he downed while Mike was in the washroom helped to dull the edge but that’s not all they dulled. He’s sipping on his fourth trying to keep his head above water but he’s barely treading. He’s smiling, though he can’t hear what Mike is saying above the dull roar in his ears. The bar is bright and fuzzy and alive. He laughs when Mike laughs, hoping that’s all he’s supposed to do.

Their waitress brings their food and fresh drinks. She lingers too long, trying to flirt with Harvey. He’s not sure if she actually finds him attractive or thinks he’s a high roller who will leave a good tip if he thinks she’s interested in him. He doesn’t put too much thought in it, though, because she’ll get the tip either way and he’s too busy watching Mike. He waves her away without so much of a glance.

Mike cocks his head to the side and gives him a strange look, “are you sure you’re okay?”

Harvey reaches across and grabs a fry, “would you stop asking me that? What are you? My mother?”

Mike laughs and swats his hand, “get your own.”

“Are you kidding me? I don’t eat that kind of garbage,” Harvey chuckles and reaches for his fork. He’s not actually hungry but he knows he needs to get some food in his stomach to soak up some of the alcohol. He can hold his liquor, sure, but five scotches within an hour on an empty stomach? He’s drunk, not stupid. 

He’s grateful for the lull in the conversation so he can turn his attention to his food and sobering up instead of trying to focus on what Mike is saying. He’s surprised when Mike reaches for his wallet after they eat, “I owe you,” he says, “for letting me stay with you.”

It’s Harvey’s turn to laugh, “I’ve got it,” he pulls out his business credit card, “it’s on the firm.”

He stands up too fast and it takes him a second to steady himself. Mike’s picking at a piece of food on his jacket and doesn’t notice Harvey wobbling. By the time he looks up Harvey’s half way to the door and he has to jog through the bar to catch up. 

The ride home is quiet and uneventful. Mike’s looking out the window at the New York City nightlife and Harvey’s looking at Mike. He watches the way Mike holds his hands in his lap, the way he stretches them out occasionally. The way he looks out the window with his eyes wide and his lips parted slightly. 

“We’re here,” his driver’s voice jars him out of his reverie. He shakes his head quickly, hoping Mike didn’t notice the attention.

Mike strips off his jacket as they step into the loft and flings it over a chair. He rolls up his sleeves, loosens his tie and leans against the counter, “what do you want to do?” he asks casually. 

It could be the drunken haze or his imagination or even a combination of the two but the image goes straight to his core. He walks over, slowly and deliberately, until he’s standing directly in front of Mike. He stares down into Mike’s cool blue eyes, he’s testing the waters, and when Mike doesn’t immediately take the bait Harvey tries to reach around him to grab the remote for the television.

He has to lean in to reach it. He can feel Mike’s breath on his neck, soft and warm. He’s not quite touching him but he’s acutely aware of exactly how close they are to each other. He pauses, just for a second to take in Mike’s warmth and scent and feel, before wrapping his hand around the remote and pulling back slowly. 

“Harvey,” Mike says. He might have been trying to ask a question or make a joke, Harvey isn’t quite sure because it comes out all breathy and strangled. He drops the remote on the counter with a loud clack but neither of them are paying any attention to it. 

They’re moving slowly, a slight tilt of the head here, a hand there. They’re inches apart and staring at each other. It could have been hours, days, that they stood like that. Mike licks his lower lip teasingly, it’s almost painful, and Harvey can’t take it anymore. All of a sudden they’re moving at light speed. He shoves himself up against Mike, pinning him to the counter, and he’s kissing him. 

Somewhere in the back of his mind he knows he should be slow and gentle and give them both a chance to adjust but he can’t and he doesn’t. The second they connect it’s not enough, it’s nowhere near enough. It’s not a graceful or beautiful kiss. It’s demanding and it’s fast and almost too much. He can’t think or breathe or focus on anything but the way Mike feels against him. 

He pulls back for a moment to catch his breath. He puts his hands on the counter top beside Mike’s hips. His mind is racing and he’s doing everything he can to reign it in. He’s Harvey fucking Specter and he doesn’t get undone by any kiss. He thinks he’s got it, he thinks he’s ready to talk his way out. He’s tired, drunk, confused. They just need to go to bed and everything will go back to normal.

He turns his head, ready to explain his way out, when he finally sees what he’s done. Mike’s eyes are wide with surprise. His lips are pink and wet and parted. His cheeks are flush and he’s still breathing heavy. He bites back a groan, the sight makes him harder than he ever thought possible. His hands slip off of the counter and grabs Mike’s hips, holding him in place. 

Mike’s bright eyes are following his every move. Harvey can see the thoughts moving at lightning speed. They could stop this. He could stop it. He should stop it. They could go to work tomorrow morning like nothing ever happened. Sure it might be awkward for a little while but it would get better. Easier. They could get through it right. It’s just a kiss.

He’s about to say something, he opens his mouth to say something but Mike arches underneath him and it stops every word dead in its tracks. He reaches out with his left hand, his right keeping Mike anchored in place, and he wraps it around Mike’s neck and pulls him in. He barely has a second to feel Mike’s lips connect with his when there is a knock at the door, “fuck.” Neither of them moves. The knock rings out again. 

He rests his head against Mike’s and considers ignoring it as the knock sounds again. Whoever was at the door wasn’t planning on leaving. He sighs and pushes off of Mike. He’s got twenty three and half ways to kill his late night visitor by the time he reaches the door. “Jessica,” he says emotionlessly, “to what do I owe the pleasure?”

She pushes past him and walks into the kitchen. Mike’s nowhere to be seen and Harvey’s grateful. Jessica looks around the room, “I see you didn’t let him stay here, wise decision.”

Harvey glances at Mike’s jacket before saying, “I told him to get a hotel.”

“You let Donna talk you into too much as it is. The boy is a distraction half of the time and mess the other half,” Jessica looks around, “you’ve got enough to focus on. You don’t need him running around here too.”

He pours himself two fingers of scotch, “why are you here, Jessica?”

“You missed a call at the office. Lawrence Pharmaceuticals decided to drop the lawsuit after meeting with you earlier.”

“You could have told me that tomorrow. It’s not exactly rush-over-in-the-middle-of-the-night news.”

Jessica flips her scarf over her shoulder, “I just wanted to make sure you’re keeping your nose clean,” she looks around the apartment before turning on her heel, “I’ll let myself out.” 

He waits until he hears the door shut before he goes searching for Mike. He finds him lying on the bed with his eyes closed, snoring softly. Jessica couldn’t have been there for more than ten minutes. He can remember associate life though, the late nights and early mornings. He walks over into the living room and grabs the throw blanket off the back of the couch and wraps it around Mike’s shoulders. He reaches over and runs a finger down Mike’s cheek before he turns and heads back into the kitchen. He grabs his scotch and sits down at the counter.

He’s in over his head.


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harvey tries to undo what's been done

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for all your support!

_A blessing in disguise I was on your mind_  
 _Try as you might you may well soon find_  
 _I am yours but you can't be mine_  
Tegan and Sara - Guilty as Charged

He doesn’t know when he fell asleep but he’s awoken shortly after three. He’s dazed and it takes him a moment to figure out where he is. He’s never slept on his own couch before, and he’s certainly not going to do it again. He tries unsuccessfully to fall back asleep. He’ll blame it on the couch, not that anyone would ask, emphasizing the bar in the middle that hit his back in the worst spot. The truth is the pain in his spine is nothing compared to the dull roar in his head. 

He gets up at five. Quietly, this time, he showers and grabs his gym clothes. He’s not planning on going for a run, no, he’s avoiding his bedroom. He mentally curses himself for not grabbing a suit the night before but there’s nothing he can do about it now. 

The air is cool and crisp when he steps out onto the bustling sidewalk. He texts his driver that he won’t be needing a ride this morning. He may not have planned on going for a run but the second his feet hit the pavement he’s off. The slapping of his feet against the pavement actually soothes his throbbing headache and for a moment he’s free. He’s not thinking about work or Mike or anything really. He’s just running. 

His pace is off and he didn’t bother to stretch or warm up, something he’s definitely going to regret later, but the air feels fresh and clear against his face. He rounds the corner to work faster than he anticipated. It’s still early, no one on his floor would be there for at least another hour. Still, though, he takes the stairs. He grabs his spare clothes from his office and slips back down to the gym change room. 

He’s seated at his desk when Donna walks in half an hour later, “you beat me here,” she says, shocked, “you never beat me here. I come in at six thirty in the morning simply so you can’t beat me here.”

“It’s seven.”

She shrugs, “you’re usually late.”

“I couldn’t sleep,” he eyes the coffee in her hand.

Donna shakes her head, “this one’s mine. I don’t get yours for at least another hour. Why couldn’t you sleep?”

“Lawrence Pharmaceuticals dropped their lawsuit. I’m going to need you to get Mike to draw up an agreement so they can’t turn around and sue us again.”

“Mm-hmm. So what had you up all night? I’m sure Lawrence pulling out wasn’t on your mind,” she leans over his desk, “this couldn’t have something to do with your little associate, could it?”

He stares her straight in the eye, “why don’t you go get me some coffee. And send Mike in as soon as he gets here.”

It’s another hour before Mike strolls in. Harvey watches intently as he greets Donna, handing her a cup of coffee. She says something that makes him laugh before she gestures towards Harvey’s office. He’s still watching as Mike walks up, a nervous smile on his face, and knocks on the glass, “I’ll get to work on that contract right away.”

“Shut the door,” Harvey says gravely, “and sit down.”

Mike does as he’s told. He looks at his hands, the window, the books, the basketballs. He looks everywhere but at Harvey. 

“You can’t stay with me anymore,” he states. He’s trying to keep it cool, together, like it’s just any other conversation. _Oh I almost fucked you on my kitchen counter, did you remember to get the memo signed?_

“I don’t understand,” Mike stands up, he’s shaking, “is this about last night? Because you kissed me.”

“It’s not about last night,” Harvey cuts him off.

Mike starts pacing around the room, “then what is it about? Please tell me because last night you really didn’t seem to mind me being there.”

“I was drunk. It was inappropriate for me to let you stay there in the first place.”

“Inappropriate for me to sleep on your couch or kiss you in your kitchen, I’m a little fuzzy on what you consider inappropriate.” 

“Both. And if I had said no in the first place like I wanted to the latter wouldn’t have happened,” he’s holding himself together by a thread, “this isn’t up for discussion, Mike.”

“No because you wanted to or because Jessica wanted you to?”

Harvey cringes before he can stop himself, “you weren’t supposed to hear her.”

“Yeah, well I did. What’s this really about, Harvey? You’ve never cared about the rules before. You couldn’t give a shit about ‘appropriateness’.”

“Mike, you can’t stay with me anymore.”

Mike collapses in the chair again, “where am I supposed to go?”

Harvey fights the urge to reach out for the boy, “get a hotel. Or better yet, stay at your house. I don’t care. Just not with me. I need that contract by one so get on it.” He looks down at the paper in front of him and doesn’t look up until he hears the glass door shut again. 

There’s a buzz from his intercom, “roof,” Donna says, “now.”

“I’m busy,” he buzzes back.

“Like hell.” 

He considers ignoring her but he knows better. It’s better to get this over with. He climbs the stairs to the roof and finds her standing directly outside the door with her arms crossed. She narrows her eyes when she sees him, “Harvey, what the hell –“

“No,” he cuts her off, “my name is on the fucking door now, Donna. I can’t have an associate, an associate who has his own place might I remind you, living on my couch.”

“For someone who thinks they know everything you’re really far behind.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

She drops her arms and walks over to the edge, “he bought the apartment for his grandmother. Who died right after he bought it. And then he asked Rachel to move in with him and she said no. She packed up and left for California. Then he’s got you breathing down his neck to buy a car and get a better place and he thinks ‘Oh, Harvey says I should do it,’ and he does it without thinking,” she glances over at him, “and then he realizes he’s not ready I find him sleeping in the copy room.” 

“This isn’t my mess, Donna,” he’s keeping his cool but her words, as always, strike a chord. He hadn’t really thought about Mike’s living situation after he’d gotten rid of the apartment. He’d taken him out for drinks to celebrate getting rid of the shit-hole. He hadn’t thought for one second that Mike wouldn’t want to move into the loft he’d purchased.

“Oh, really? ‘Cause where I’m standing it’s got Harvey Specter written all over it. And you kissed him? What the fuck are you thinking, Harvey? You’re not worried about him sleeping on your couch,” she jabs her finger into his chest, “you’re worried about him sleeping in your bed. This isn’t about your name on the door or an associate on your couch. You’re swimming in uncharted territory and you’re taking it out on him.”

Harvey straightens up and dusts off his jacket, “you’ve got no idea what the hell you’re talking about. You’re the secretary, I’m the lawyer so get your head out of my business and get the hell back downstairs.” He watches the emotions dance across her face. Anger, sadness, fear. Pity. She turns on her heel and storms back into the building. He takes off after her. This isn’t over. 

He grabs her by the arm and drags her into Louis’s office. Louis swings around in his chair, “Harvey! Donna! To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Mike Ross,” Harvey starts.

Donna shakes her head, “Harvey…”

“What about Mike?” Louis leans forward on his desk.

“Take him for a couple weeks. I know Katrina’s on vacation and my big case just closed up.”

Louis smiles, “I could keep him busy. But you can’t come running back here to steal him the second you have a problem. If he’s working for me I’ll need his full attention.”

“No problem,” Harvey guides Donna out of the room and into the hallway. She’s fuming, he can feel it but he’s on a roll, “tell Mike, would you?” 

He pushes past her and storms into his office, letting the door fall shut behind him. He doesn’t glance up when he hears her walk in behind him, “I thought I made myself clear.”

“Oh you did,” she walks over to his desk, “now I’m going to make myself clear. I’ll tell Mike to go work for Louis. I’ll get your coffee and I’ll bring you your paperwork. After all I’m your secretary. I never really thought about it like that before. I always saw us as a team. Harvey and Donna. Donna and Harvey. You’ve pulled rank on me before when we needed to get shit done but this isn’t about getting shit done. You’ve made a mess of this whole thing and you better not even think about coming to me when your shit hits the fan.”

He sits down at his desk and opens his laptop. It’s eight fifty three on the nose and it’s going to be a long fucking day.


	4. Chapter Four

_And so I go back home to be by myself_  
 _I try everything I've ever read_  
 _Desperate, I still can't get you out of my head_  
Tegan and Sara - Guilty as Charged

He’d like to say that the next three weeks and four days passed in a blur but they didn’t. They crawled by so slowly at times he questioned if time had stopped altogether. Donna had barely spoken to him and the associates she drudged up for him weren’t exactly top notch. Whether she was punishing him or it really was all they had, he didn’t know. Either way, it made for long nights and even longer days and the truth was, is, he doesn’t mind the long nights. He’d rather be sitting in his office flipping through the files then laying in his empty bed and the empty silence beside it. 

The blanket he’d wrapped around Mike, along with a stray t-shirt, had made their way into the bed but they offered little comfort compared to that of an actual human being. So he watched TV. He bet on foreign sports even though he couldn’t understand what the announcers were saying. At one point he actually cleaned his own loft. He couldn’t remember ever having cleaned his loft. 

Donna’s antics started about a week and half into Mike being gone. Every morning he’d come in to find his coffee already at his desk, she never handed it to him anymore, and his employee credit card expense statement. He signed the first six of them before he started to question her. She was short and sweet with him, exclaiming surprise at him finding another one. He, sure as shit, wasn’t born yesterday and he knew she was up to something. 

Yesterday morning had no different than the rest. He woke up on the couch, still dressed in his clothing from the night before. He skipped the shower. He’d taken a stance of the less time he spent there, the better it was these days. He changed, shaved and styled his hair in less than fifteen minutes and he walked to work. 

Donna didn’t glance up as he walks by her and she didn’t return his greeting. His coffee was sitting at his desk with the statement beside it. For the first time since it appeared on his desk he flipped through it while he sipped on his coffee. When he finished he’d picked up the folder and dropped it on her desk. 

“Can I help you?” 

“What is this?”

“Your expense statement.”

“Yes, I know, what’s it doing on my desk?” 

She still wasn’t looking at him and it was starting to grate on his nerves, “you have to approve your spending for last month.”

He leaned over the edge of her desk, “I did approve it. I approved it two weeks ago when you dropped it on my desk the first time and every day since then.”

She shrugs, “oh, my mistake,” she grabbed the folder and leaned over to file it in her desk.

“You don’t make mistakes,” he tries, “you’re ‘Donna’.”

She looked over at him, finally, exasperated, “sometimes, Harvey, I swear you’re as stupid as your hair looks.” 

He caught the twinkle in her eye and leaned back, smiling, “my hair does not look stupid.” 

He’d assumed that was the end of it. When he walked in this morning she’d handed him his coffee and smiled. She’d reminded him of his client meeting at 11:30 and mentioned all the papers he needed were on his desk. She’d told him some funny anecdote about her weekend. He figured they were fine and everything was back to normal. Except he’s staring at the expense report. Again. 

He storms out of his office ready to question her about it again when his newest associate stumbles up. He’s dressed the part, arrogant and cocky, but Harvey knows the files he’s about to be handed are either incomplete or completely wrong. The boy tosses the file at Donna without so much as a word before he turns and walks away.

“Excuse me,” Donna says, holding up the file, “what am I supposed to do with these?”

“File them, that is your job, right?” he doesn’t even look at Donna, “oh hey Donna.”

Harvey considers tearing a strip out of the boy but waves him away instead, “when in the hell is Katrina back?”

“I hate that little shit,” Donna turns on him, “and she’s been back for two weeks.”

“Then where the hell is Mike?”

“Are you serious?” Donna takes the expense report out of his hands and points to a highlighted transaction, “where the hell do you think he is?”

“Seriously, Donna?”

“It’s like I said,” she grabs the report and tucks it away, “you’re as stupid as your hair.”

It’s after eleven when he finally finishes his work for the day. He’s frustrated and exhausted. His painfully conceited associate managed to screw up every document that crossed his desk. He considers piling everything up and dumping it on his desk, calling him out and making him redo every single piece of it. He probably would have if he hadn’t been so tired. He walks over to his bookshelf and pours himself a drink. He looks over at his desk, at the mountain of papers on it, and cringes at the thought of going another day like this.

He puts the glass down on the bookshelf, untouched, and walks over to Donna’s desk. He pulls on the top drawer, lipstick and pens and paper clips. The bottom two drawers won’t open without a key. He starts digging through the first drawer hoping to find the key when he sees the pink arrow shaped post-it note on the monitor with his name on it. The arrow is pointing down to a folder on the keyboard. He smiles to himself and grabs the folder with half a mind to give Donna a raise. 

The hotel is bustling despite the late hour and he has to pay the guy at the counter to give him the room number. He skips the elevator and takes the stairs. He’s not thinking, just doing, and he can’t stop. If he stops he’ll think and if he thinks he’ll talk himself into going home. The door is large and cracks loudly when he knocks on it. 

“I’ve only got a fifty dollar bill,” Mike starts when he opens the door, “oh, you aren’t the pizza guy.” His hair is a mess. He’s still dressed from work but he’s lost the jacket and tie. His shirt is untucked and stained and the top buttons are undone.

“Who orders pizza at this time of the night?”

Mike shrugs but steps back enough that Harvey can step into the room. It’s a mess with clothing flung over every conceivable surface and a few empty takeout boxes stacked near the bathroom. Harvey chuckles under his breath, “housekeeping take the week off?”

“What do you want, Harvey?” Mike’s unamused. He’s standing by the door with his arms crossed. He’s keeping his distance.

Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew this wasn’t going to be easy. This wasn’t about work, this is personal. He was so used to Mike jumping right back in with him without much of a discussion. He wasn’t used to this awkwardness, standoffishness, between them. Harvey couldn’t say he liked it, “you were supposed to come back when Katrina did.”

“Did you even want me back?”

Harvey almost chokes on his words, “Mike,” he says softly. He walks over, stopping only when Mike starts to back up, “come on.”

“Come on what?” Mike holds his hands up, “you took me in, you kissed me, you kicked me out. If that wasn’t enough of an insult you turned around and sent me to go work with Louis and didn’t even have the balls to tell me yourself and then it’s taken you two weeks to notice I didn’t come back. And let me guess, now you’re stuck with someone you can’t stand and you need me back.” He pauses, giving Harvey a chance to answer. 

The air is thick and tense and heavy. He’s suddenly aware of how tired he really is. He’s worn out, he’s exhausted. It’s been a long three weeks and he can’t keep it up. He reaches forward but Mike dodges him and pulls back. He’s running out of options, out of chances, and he’s got nothing left, “I fucked up, okay. Is that what you want to hear? I’m sorry. I made a mistake and then I made an even bigger one trying to fix the first one. I want you back, Mike.” 

“Mistake?” Mike’s voice wobbles. 

Fuck. “That’s not what I meant,” Harvey starts.

“It’s exactly what you meant, well fuck you, Harvey.” There’s a knock at the door. Mike hands the pizza guy the fifty without a word and shuts the door behind him. He tosses the pizza on the pile of boxes before turning back to Harvey.

“Mike…”

“I think you should go now.” 

Harvey gathers up what’s left of his pride and walks towards Mike. He stands in front of him, staring down at the younger man. Mike’s eyes are hard and cold and he holds his ground despite Harvey towering over him. He’s about to push past him and go, he’s thinking about whether he should take a cab or walk home and then he’s not thinking about anything but Mike. He grabs him by the arms and pushes him back up against the wall.

While their first kiss had been rushed but tentative this is everything but. It’s rough and hard and dirty. He lets go of Mike’s arms to grab his hips. Mike pushes up into him and for a split second Harvey thinks he’s pushing him off but he feels Mike’s hands come up and grab the lapels of his jacket, pulling him closer.

He wrenches his hands off and grabs the front of Mike’s shirt, ripping it open. Mike’s eyes snap open but before he can complain about the shirt Harvey’s on him again, kissing and running his hands down his chest. Harvey slides his hands under Mike’s t-shirt and runs his thumbs along the soft skin of his hipbones. Mike moans against his lips, arching his hips up, trying to get more contact, more friction. 

His hands seem to have a mind of their own as they trace the skin just above Mike’s pants. He tugs at Mike’s belt, feeling it go slack in his hand. He pulls back and puts his hands on the wall next to Mike’s head. He’s trying to speak but he words keep dying in his throat. If they don’t stop now he won’t be able to stop. He’s hard, fucking hard, and it hurts. His skin feels like it’s on fire and he’s not sure he can stop. 

He rests his head again Mike’s forehead, breathing hard, “Mike,” is all he manages to get out. Mike looks up at him, completely wrecked and panting. He’s trying to organize his thoughts, to make some sense of the situation and just when he thinks he’s got a hold on something Mike grinds his hips up and his cock pushes into Harvey’s. Harvey lets out a low, slow groan before he reaches down and pulls so hard on Mike’s pants that the button pops off and roles across the carpet. 

Mike tries to come up off the wall but Harvey places a hand in the middle of his chest and pushes him back down. Harvey’s other hand reaches down between them and lowers his zipper painfully slowly. Mike’s bucking up into his hand and whimpering, almost pleading. He pushes Mike into the wall before running his hand down Mike’s chest to his hips. He leans in and kisses Mike again as he slips his pants down off his hips, and he feels Mike’s cock spring free. There’s no going back now.

He strips off his jacket and falls to his knees, looking up at Mike, half dressed, against the wall and almost moans at the sight. He reaches out with his right hand and grasps Mike’s cock. He tests the weight in his hands, feeling the softness of the skin and the blood raging underneath. He takes a deep breath, leans in, and runs his tongue along the head. Mike hisses at the contact and he smiles to himself. He starts to slowly suck on it, pulling back and letting his tongue swirl over the head. 

He’s got no idea what he’s doing but the sounds Mike’s making encourage him to keep trying. He pulls back far enough that he can look up. Mike’s normally cool blue eyes are wide and dark, full of love and lust. He’s panting and reaching for Harvey. He starts to move again, keeping his eyes on Mike’s. The first time he’d kissed Mike he’d been drunk and he hadn’t been thinking and he’d written it off as a drunken mistake but the truth is he was a fool. He’d felt something then, he can feel it now and he can tell from the look in Mike’s eyes that he feels it too.

He can feel Mike’s hands fall to his shoulders and grab at the back of his head. He pulls him too far in and Harvey gags around his cock but Mike’s moaning and mumbling, “Harvey, please, oh my God, Harvey,” and doesn’t seem to notice. His hands tense up and Harvey’s not exactly ready when Mike starts to spurt into his mouth. He chokes and can feel Mike’s cum running down his chin. He tries to swallow as much as he can before he leans back on his heels. 

He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and stands up. He reaches out with his hand, cupping Mike’s cheek, “I’m sorry,” he says softly.

“You aren’t going to kick me out and make me work for Louis again, are you?” Mike’s tone is dark and Harvey can see the fear in his eyes, “cos you don’t own the hotel.”  
“I’m sorry,” Harvey says again, “I owed you a better explanation than that.” 

“Owe,” Mike reaches down and pulls his pants up. He slips out from Harvey and reaches for the box of pizza and sits down on the bed, “I think you owe me an explanation.”


	5. Chapter Five

_Guilty as charged, you were on my mind_  
 _Try as I might I can't seem to lie_  
 _I can love you back if you like_  
 _I can hold you back if you like_  
Tegan and Sara - Guilty as Charged

“Is that the same suit you wore yesterday?” 

How in the hell could Louis remember what suit he’d worn the day before? Harvey rolls his eyes and reaches across his desk for another folder, “what do you want, Louis?”

“Nothing,” Louis says innocently, “wait. Is your hair flat? Who are you? What have you done with Harvey Specter?”

“You’re welcome to leave now,” Harvey resists the urge to run a hand through his hair, he doesn’t want to give Louis the satisfaction. 

Louis steps into his office, “I wanted to ask you about Mike Ross.” 

Harvey’s ears perk up. He makes a big show of closing the file, putting his pen down and looking up, “what about Mike Ross?”

“I haven’t seen him all day,” Louis looks around the room like he’s checking to make sure Mike isn’t hiding behind the lamp, “we agreed while he was working for me you couldn’t snatch him back up.”

“Actually,” Harvey stands up and buttons his suit, “we agreed you could keep him while Katrina was gone and Katrina’s back now.”

“Well, I wasn’t done with him.”

“Tell me everything,” Donna says as she steps into the room, “don’t leave a single detail – Oh, hi, Louis.” She stops short.

Harvey sits back in his chair, “Louis was just leaving.” He watches Donna try to shoo Louis out of the room against his will. 

“Are you wearing the same suit you wore yesterday?” Donna asks as she sits down in the chair across from him. 

“Why does everyone suddenly care what suit I’m wearing?” He looked over at her and caught a glimpse of Mike walking by the office. 

He’d grabbed the chair from the desk and pushed the clothes off of it before sitting down across from Mike. It was awkward and uncomfortable and the words ‘we need to talk’ had always been an erection killer before but last night? Not so much. He adjusted himself as best as he could and looked everywhere but at Mike, who was still a little flushed and breathing heavy.

“First time?” Mike asked, taking a bite out of a piece of pizza.

“No,” Harvey started shaking his head, “you know it’s not.”

“No, no, I know you’ve had sex,” Mike laughed, “first blow job?” Harvey pondered the question for a minute. Had it been Mike’s first as well? How could he tell? Was there some way of knowing? Did he miss something? He must’ve kept quiet for too long because Mike said, “that explains a lot. And here I thought all the big Wall Street tycoons had this kind of secret.”

Harvey tried to adjust himself again, “it wasn’t yours.” He could have phrased it like a question but he already knew the answer. 

Mike shook his head. “No,” he said softly. 

“Trevor?”

“God no,” Mike laughed, “gross.” 

Harvey leaned forward in the chair, half trying to hide and half willing the swelling to go down. Mike’s not stupid but he is empathetic. He considered concocting another story, something to validate his previous one, but he knew he couldn’t fool Mike. His hands were tied. 

His silence was enough to jar Mike and he dropped the pizza on the bed, “permission to treat the witness as hostile?” 

“Granted,” Harvey replied nervously. He couldn’t believe how nervous he’d been. He’s a high powered corporate attorney turned to quivering little girl. The truth was he had no idea what to say, where to start. He swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded, giving Mike the floor. 

“Why did Scottie leave?”

“You know why she left.”

“That’s not how this works,” Mike pulls a pepperoni off the pizza and eats it, “answer the question, Mr. Specter.”

Harvey almost groans at the title, “she left because I didn’t want her, love her, the way she wanted me to. She left because I wouldn’t start my own firm with her and leave you behind. She felt like I always chose you.” 

“The first time you kissed me was it because you wanted to or because you were drunk?”

Harvey ponders the question, “Both.”

“You have to pick one,” Mike stood up.

“If I had to pick the first one.”

“Were you drunk tonight?”

“No.”

Mike started pacing back and forth, “why did you kick me out after you kissed me?”

Harvey paused, contemplating the best way to answer the question. He could have lied and he’s good enough at it he probably could have convinced Mike but when he looked at Mike, staring down at him, almost pleading with him he knew he had to be honest, “I was scared.” 

“Of?”

“Do you want the truth?” 

Mike flopped back down on the bed, “you know I do.”

“I was scared of you. Am scared of you,” Harvey stood up this time and walked over to the window, “you asked me once how I went through relationships and none of them ever wore me down. The truth is, I didn’t really care about them, at least, not the way they wanted me to. And when I kissed you it was different.” He felt Mike behind him before Mike’s hand touched his shoulder, “and the truth is, the real truth, is that I owe you fucking better than this. A motel blow job. If any relationship ever were going to ‘eat me up’ and ‘spit me out’ as you put it. It’s this one, Mike.” 

Mike pressed his head to Harvey’s back, feeling the warmth through his shirt, “I have one last question,” he whispered, paused, and then said, “Would you do it again?” 

“Hello,” Donna’s voice rings through, “earth to Harvey. Where did you go?”

He blinks back to reality, Louis is nowhere to be found and Donna’s leaning across his desk, waving her hands in his face. He pushes them away, “nothing happened.”

“Hey, so, I grabbed a bunch of files off your desk when I got in this morning,” Mike said as he walked into the room, “you’re right. Everything is wrong. I’m just going to grab the rest and I’ll get to work. Hey, Donna.”

Donna laughs, “yeah right, nothing happened. This conversation isn’t over, Harvey,” she stands up and winks at Mike before heading out to her desk.

“She’s onto us,” Mike glances over his shoulder at Donna who waves, “isn’t she?”

“Are you kidding me? She’s Donna. She’s probably been onto us since the second I hired you,” Harvey flips open a file, “when do you think you’ll have those files done?”

Mike walks around the desk and leans over it. To anyone walking by it would look like they were just looking at the file together but in reality Mike’s got one hand on the file and the other one is trailing dangerously along Harvey’s thigh, “when do you want them done?” he whispers. 

“Keep it up,” Harvey says back, “I’ll bend you over this desk.”

“Oh, big man gives one blow job and now he thinks he’s ready to play in the majors,” Mike squeezes his thigh, “I have to say I like it when you’re controlling.” 

Harvey glances up to see Donna staring at him with her mouth wide open, “Donna, turn off the intercom,” he chokes out, “now.” He slides his hand up the back of Mike’s thigh feeling the muscle twitch under his touch. He watches Donna until he’s sure she’s complied and then he turns his attention back to the task at hand, “you’d like it if I told you what to do, wouldn’t you, Mike?”

Mike exhales audibly and squeezes his thigh a little harder, “you’d like it if I made you work for it a little bit. Made you wait. Just like you made me wait last night.” 

“Hey, hey, you fell asleep before I did,” Mike looks over at him and smirks.

“Are you arguing with me?” Harvey slides his hand up to the small of Mike’s back and starts drawing circles, “I don’t like it when you argue with me.”

Mike eyes him cautiously, “is that how you want this to go, Harv? You want me to be a good boy for you? Is that how your fantasies have gone?” Harvey would normally have laughed at the term ‘good boy’ but the way that Mike said it, all cocky and arrogant with a hint of sarcasm went straight to his cock. Mike reaches across him slowly, slides a piece of paper onto the floor and kneels down to pick it up, “am I on my knees? Am I begging for you?”

“Be quiet,” Harvey says, turning his chair around. 

“You sure you want to do this at work?” Mike asks him seriously. Harvey realizes then, at that moment, with Mike on his knees staring up at him that Mike’s the one in control. There’s apprehension in his eyes, along with at least thousand other thoughts, but he’s got Harvey right where he wants him.

Harvey reaches down and starts to tug at his belt, “I thought I told you to be quiet.” He reaches over the arm of his chair and presses on the intercom, “Donna, hold my calls.”

“Oh, I’ll hold them,” she says.

“Turn off your intercom,” he can almost hear her roll her eyes but the machine goes silent. 

He returns his attention to Mike, “take off your jacket,” Mike complies. He reaches for his tie but Harvey stops him, “leave your tie on.”

Mike lets go of the tie, “I should have known you’d have a thing for ties,” he says as he positions himself between Harvey’s legs. Harvey goes to silence him again and Mike says, “Yeah, yeah, I know. Be quiet. Why don’t you give me a reason to be quiet?”

They’ll have to work on their banter but that is a problem for another day. Harvey leans back in his chair and watches as Mike reaches forward and pulls his zipper down. He has to grit his teeth against the friction. If he were a lesser man he’d be bartering by now, pleading, running his hands through Mike’s hair and downright begging for release but he’s Harvey Specter and he grits his teeth and waits patiently for Mike to release his raging cock. 

It springs out almost as though it has a mind of its own. Until last night he hadn’t realized it was actually possible for balls to actually turn fucking blue and if his dick is any indication they still are. It’s more swollen than he’s ever seen it, and purple and it almost looks as though it’s straining against the skin. Like it’s trying to escape or explode. It slaps against his stomach leaving a trail of precome on his jacket. 

And Mike. Mike’s looking at it like he’s in a trance, he’s practically drooling. The teasing banter, the joking tone, all of its gone out the window and he’s on Harvey like a man on fire. He grabs Harvey’s cock with his left hand and guides it towards his mouth. Whereas Harvey’d been a novice Mike might as well be a pro. 

He’s not exactly quiet as he works his way around Harvey’s cock but the sucking and slurping really just add to it. Sure, he’s been given a blow job or two in his time, but nothing like this. Mike knows exactly where and when to exact pressure, swirl his tongue, hollow his cheeks. At one point Harvey swears Mike starts humming and it’s almost too much.

Harvey’s never been a talker during sex, preferring to let his hands do most of the talking but he can’t help himself. He’s talking so fast he’s not even sure he’s making sense but the words keep coming out in one long confusing run on sentence, “holy fuck, Mike, you feel so good oh my God where did you learn to oh my God oh fuck oh Mike that’s it, Mike.”

It’s almost impossible to stay still when he’s buried in Mike’s mouth. He tries to thrust slowly but Mike pulls off and blows cool air on his cock, “just enjoy it,” he says before diving in again. It isn’t long before Harvey’s clenching the arms of his chair, bearing down and coming straight down Mike’s throat. He’s impressed, to say the least, when Mike swallows every bit before leaning back against the cool glass of the window.

He has no idea when but Mike’s got his own cock out and he’s stroking it leisurely. Harvey doesn’t bother to clean himself up as he watches Mike’s hand move up and down the shaft slowly. Mike stares him straight in the eye, breathing ragged as he starts to speed up. 

Harvey swallows the lump in his throat. While he’d been talking up a storm merely minutes ago he’s dead silent now. Mike’s gaze has him glued to his chair and he can hardly breathe. He’s barely aware of the time ticking by, he’s flat out forgotten where he is and all he can concentrate on is Mike’s hand. Mike wasn’t far behind him to begin with and he’s whispering Harvey’s name when he comes, spurting all over his shirt and tie. 

Harvey falls back into his chair, exhausted, and takes a minute to just breathe. When he’s collected himself enough he reaches for a box of Kleenex and tosses it at Mike before he fixes his suit. He picks at the precome that’s dried underneath the button, “that’s going to be fun for my drycleaner,” he says.

“Uhm, hello,” Mike gestures to his shirt and tie, “you think you’ve got problems.”

“My jacket is worth more than your entire wardrobe.” 

Mike tucks his shirt into his pants and reaches for his jacket, “seriously, Harvey, I can’t wear this for the rest of the day.”

Harvey leans down and kisses him, hard, “oh you’ll wear it.” 

The jacket barely hides the evidence but Harvey is almost proud of it. Mike just rolls his eyes, “I had a feeling you were kinky,” he says as he gathers up the files, “I better get on these. My boss wants them done by lunch time and I don’t know if you’ve met him but he’s kind of a hard ass.” He dodges Harvey’s swat before sauntering out of his office.

The whole room smells like sweat and sex. Harvey leans back and slowly turns his chair back around in time to hear his intercom buzz, “nothing happened?!” Donna screeches in his ear.


	6. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize this has taken so long!! Midterms totally took over my life and then I was half way through a chapter when I decided I wanted to do a Mike chapter so here it goes!!! It kinda went in a different direction that I originally planned but I think it works :) thank you for your patience!!!

_I don’t know how to hold you without shaking_  
 _I’m not aware of how I could possibly love you without aching_  
Tegan and Sara – This is Everything

He likes being overworked. He likes the way the exhaustion rolls down the back of his neck and settles in the small of his back. He leans back and stretches his arms above his head, letting his shoulders pop and crack and snap before he leans forward in his chair. He likes working Sunday mornings because he’s the only one on his floor. He bobs his head slightly to the music from his iPod, shuffles some papers and takes another crack at the file in front of him.

He’s used to being on his own, to being alone. He’s always found he works his best by himself. He’s learned to love the quiet, to relish it. He’s just about to take a sip of his coffee when his phone dings. 

‘Are you at work?’ 

‘Yes,’ he doesn’t elaborate. He’s not exactly sure how much information he’s supposed to give. Sure, everything had been going great. Everything felt amazing. But there’d never been a conversation, any conversation really, that gave him any sort of idea where they were sitting. It unnerved him. He liked to work alone, he liked to be alone, but he didn’t like to be on the fence. 

‘Are you coming by later?’

Of course it was up to him. It felt like it was always up to him lately. He wasn’t ready for sleepovers, always finding some reason or another to duck out after his heartbeat returned to normal. It wasn’t like he liked living in the hotel or anything but he wasn’t about to just stay at Harvey’s place. He wasn’t about to just move his life in and scare him off. It’s not like they were really even dating, unless you called rolling around in Harvey’s sheets a date. 

They’d tried to keep it out of work, and aside from a few indiscretions – did he seriously have sex in a glass office? What the hell was he thinking? – they’d been successful. It wasn’t easy, he’d be the first to admit that the second Harvey stormed in the office, oozing power and sex appeal, he swore the temperature went up ten degrees.

He thinks about his hotel room and the cold pizza waiting in the office kitchen. He thinks about the warmth of Harvey’s skin and the security of his arms. He’s nowhere closer to a decision when he hears his cellphone ding again, ‘I’d like to see you.’ Ding, ‘we should talk.’

He couldn’t exactly put his finger down on it. Whatever it was that made this…arrangement so different from the rest. He wouldn’t call Rachel easy but he’d understood her. The conversation had come easily. The everyday. With Harvey, suddenly everything had felt foreign and forced. They rarely joked or even smiled at work. Every fleeting glance had become so tense, so full of desire almost that Mike had begun to feel like he was drowning at work. Constantly gasping for air. 

It’s never felt so forced before. He’d always considered himself intelligent, extremely so, and conversations had come easily. But now, he would untangle himself from Harvey’s grasp, still slick with sweat and panting, and he’d reach for his clothing. “We need to talk about this,” Harvey would say, reaching for him. He’d find himself at a loss for words, staring the taut skin between Harvey’s shoulder blades or stretched across his collar bones and he’d just smile, kiss him, and let himself out. 

He’d never been one to take off.

What was he so afraid of? He slams his hand down on his desk so hard it knocks his coffee over and it spills all over the files on his desk. He jumps up and grabs them trying to shake the coffee off of them. 

“What are you doing here?” a voice calls out from behind him. 

He turns around so fast his iPod snags on his keyboard and the whole lot of it tumbles to the ground. He stands there, his headphones hanging loosely from his ears, coffee covered files in both hands and his keyboard dangling precariously inches above the ground, staring directly at Louis. “Louis, what the hell?” he says when he starts to feel his heart slow down. He drops the files in his chair and reaches for the keyboard, putting it safely back on the desk. He hears his phone ding again. 

“I didn’t mean to scare you,” Louis walks over and picks up one of the files, “this doesn’t need to be done until Thursday,” he picks up the next one, “and Monday next week.”

Mike shrugs, “just staying on top of my work, boss,” he grabs a tissue and starts to wipe up the remaining coffee from the desk. 

“You haven’t worked a weekend in over a month,” Louis drops the files, “Harvey said you were too busy doing something for him to work weekends.”

“It’s not like anyone else is here,” Mike gestures around the empty floor, “you didn’t need me here.” 

Louis sits down on the desk and looks pointedly at Mike, “is everything okay?”

“What?”

“You’ve been different,” he says, “quiet. You’ve lost your… whatever it is that makes you you. Are you unhappy with Harvey?”

Mike drops the tissue suddenly, “what do you mean?”

“If he’s working you too hard or asking too much of you just say the word. You know you’re always welcome on my team,” Louis pauses when Mike’s phone goes off again, “is that him? Is he bothering you?”

Mike snatches up his phone and drops it in his jean pocket, “I don’t have a problem with Harvey at work,” he says, “I’m fine, Louis.”

Louis nods, “well if you change your mind you know where to find me,” he stands up and heads towards the hallway when he stops short and turns around, “there isn’t something else going on between you and Harvey is there?” He walks over to Mike’s desk, “you can tell me. I can protect you.”

“Protect me?” Mike tries to look confused, “what on earth are you taking about?”

“Nothing” Louis shakes his head, “nothing at all.”

Mike pulls his phone out once Louis is gone. He ignores the two new messages from Harvey and scrolls though his contacts before grabbing his jacket and heading for the elevator, “hey, it’s me. I need to talk to you. We have a problem.”

“It’s my day off.”

He sighs, “I know. I’ll bring that Chinese food you like…” 

“You have twenty minutes.”

He’s standing outside of a blue apartment door exactly nineteen and half minutes later. He juggles the bags and has to kick the door lightly. He waits a few seconds before he kicks it again, a little harder.

“You really do like to skirt in at the last minute, don’t you?”

“Donna, you look amazing,” Mike smiles widely, following her into the apartment. 

Donna grabs one of the bags out of his hand and starts pulling out the containers, “of course I do,” she pops the top on one of the containers and reaches for a set of chopsticks, “what’s the problem?”

Mike grabs the container closest to him and follows suit, “Louis knows.”

“Knows what?”

“About Harvey. And me. That we’re whatever we are.” 

She leans back against the counter thoughtfully before she speaks, “are you sure?”

Mike sighs again, “he came by my desk today and went on about Harvey working me too hard and then asked me what was going on with Harvey. He said he could protect me.”

“Well, it sounds like he suspects something but isn’t sure. So I don’t think he knows,” Donna reaches for another container, “but if he suspects something he won’t drop it until he knows for sure. Have you talked to Harvey?”

Mike shakes his head and tosses her his phone. 

“Mike, there’s six messages from Harvey in the last hour. Have you talked to him at all today?” she doesn’t give him a chance to answer, “This is why you were at work today. You’re avoiding him.”

“I’m not avoiding him, I saw him last night.”

Donna rolls her eyes, “you’re avoiding talking to him.” 

Mike puts his food down and sits down at her island, “I don’t know why.”

“Oh for fuck sakes, Mike,” Donna puts her food down and leans across the counter, “for a genius you’re really fucking stupid. You can’t just have sex on every conceivable surface and expect that to be good enough.”

“He doesn’t really want more. He thinks he does but he doesn’t. You know Harvey.”

“You have no idea what he wants and you’re not going to until you talk to him,” she walks over to the door, “get out.”

Mike slides off the stool, “Donna…”

“I said get out. Go find Harvey and figure your shit out. I can’t tell you what he wants or what he needs and sitting here, ignoring him, you’re hurting him and I’m not going to stand for it. Go home. Go to the hotel. Go to Harvey. I don’t care but I’m not going to be a part of this.”

He slinks towards the door like a scolded puppy, “Donna, I’m –“

“Don’t apologize,” she says, “just fix it.” 

It’s raining when he hits the pavement. He flips up his hood and starts to walk down the sidewalk. He’s got no plan, no ideas. He’s just walking. People rush past him seeking shelter from the cold rain but he doesn’t even notice. He’s watching his feet move forward, wet and squishy in his shoes. He moves methodically, from memory. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knows where he’s going, why he’s going there, but he takes his time. 

He still has Harvey’s key from the night he spent there. He flips it in his hand while he stands, dripping, in front of the door. He moves to slip it in the lock but stops himself. He’s holding out, shaking, when the door opens and Harvey stands there, surprised and confused. “You’re soaked,” he says, ushering Mike inside. 

“Hey,” Mike says, trying to keep his teeth from chattering. 

He follows Harvey into the kitchen and stands there while Harvey tugs his sweater over his head. It hits the floor with a wet slap. He’s chilled to the bone and even without the wet sweater he’s shivering. “Did you walk here?” Harvey calls out from the bedroom. He comes out holding a pile of clothing and a towel, “or ride your bike?”

“Walked,” Mike rubs his arms.

Harvey clicks his tongue, “are you stupid?” he all but shouts. He’s angry. Mike can feel the tension pouring off the other man as he grabs Mike’s arms and pulls them straight so he can tug Mike’s shirt off, “seriously, what the fuck? You can afford a cab, Mike. Hell, you could have called or answered any of the messages I sent you today and I could have sent Ray to pick you up.” 

He’s vulnerable, standing in the kitchen in nothing but his jeans. Mike looks up to meet Harvey’s concerned gaze, he reaches out with a tentative hand and places it on Harvey’s cheek, “I’m sorry,” he whispers. Harvey tries to shake his head, tell him they could talk later but Mike holds his ground, “no,” he clears his throat, “no, I have to say it. I haven’t been fair to you. And I’m sorry. I owe you so much.”

Harvey’s quiet for a moment, running his hands lightly along Mike’s back. Mike shivers again and for a second he wonders if it’s because he’s cold or because Harvey’s touching him so gently. He tries to read the expression on Harvey’s face but he’s not really sure what’s going on. It’s been less than twenty four hours since he’s seen him but it feels like it’s been a lifetime. 

There’s an electricity between them, a tangible connection, and for a moment they’re frozen to the kitchen floor. It’s the moment you break free, the moment you come up for air. It’s the moment you open your eyes and see the world for the first time. It’s the blur of life passing you by and you’ve finally caught up. All his fears fall back, conceding defeat. He smiles, for the first time in weeks, really smiles. 

Mike slides his hand from Harvey’s cheek to his neck, anchoring them both in place, and he leans in. The kiss is soft, hesitant and chaste. It’s less of a kiss and more of a plea. It’s not the passionate, demanding, aggressive kiss they’re both so used to. It’s tender. He leans in, close enough to kiss him again, holding his ground. He’s urging Harvey to take control, to show him exactly what he needs. 

Harvey doesn’t need encouragement, he closes the gap between them without a second thought. While Mike’s kiss and been gentle and light, Harvey’s is insistent. He’s clutching Mike to him like he’s afraid to let him go. He urges the kiss deeper and reaches down. He grasps Mike, pulling him up onto his toes. Harvey pushes him back and walks him towards the bathroom. For a moment he’s curious as to where they are going but Harvey’s lips on his are enough to bring him back to focus. 

Harvey reaches past him and turns on the shower, shoving them both inside. The water comes on fast, soaking through his jeans. They get heavy fast, barely staying up. He can feel Harvey’s fingertips along the edge of them, unsnapping the button. He stops for a second, pulling back so he can look Mike in the eye, “I want more than this,” he says.

Mike blinks, trying to think through the haze of his arousal, “more than what?” he pants.

“More than this,” Harvey places his hands on either side of Mike’s head, “you have no idea what you do to me,” he whispers, “I can’t focus when you’re around. I can’t think. And then you’re here and it’s everything I want it to be and before I have a chance to even think you’re gone again. If this is just about sex I can’t do this anymore.” 

“It’s not,” Mike reaches up and puts his hand on Harvey’s shoulder, “I swear it’s not.” 

Harvey reaches over and turns the water off, “you have to tell me,” he says, “you have to tell me what this is because I can’t take this anymore.” 

Mike drops his head. He’d been so caught up in his own head he’d never actually thought about what he’d been doing to Harvey, “it’s not just about sex,” he can feel the guilt rising up in his throat, “I thought that’s what you wanted. I was scared,” he rests his head against Harvey’s wet shirt, “I was scared if I let you talk you’d tell me how we have to keep it quiet, out of work and I’d just be some secret and then Louis tried to talk to me about it today and Donna yelled at me and I just didn’t know where do go or what to do.”

Harvey shakes his head, “I have no idea what this is either,” he says, “but if you’d like to… I’d like to find out,” he reaches out and tips Mike’s head up so he can meet him in the eye, “you’re not going to be some dirty little secret I hide in my bed at night. We’ll have to figure out what to do about work. And you’re going to have to tell me everything Louis said.”

“Well,” Mike starts but Harvey cuts him off with another kiss. 

“You can tell me later,” Harvey unbuttons his shirt and tosses it out of the shower. He reaches over and turns the water back on.


End file.
